Duplex receptacle



June 28 2 I W. IL:

DUPLEX RECEPTACLE Filed May 5. 1926 Patented June 28, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,633,668 'PATENT- OFFICE.

WILLIAM ILE, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO REYNOLDS SPRING COMPANY,OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DUPLEX RECEPTAGLE.

Application filed May 5, 1926. Serial No. 106372.

1The invention relates to a duplex receptac e.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofduplex receptacles and to provide a simple, practical and ciiicientduplex receptacle of strong, durable and comparatively inexpensiveconstruction designed for use in connection with a metal outlet box orthe like and adapted to form a face plate for the same and capable of enabling the feed wires to be easily and quickly connected with it beforeit is secured in po sitionover the outlet box.

A further object of the invention is to provide a duplex receptacle ofthis character adapted to afford a maximum air space around and betweenthe wires so that there will be no liability of arcing, sparking orshort circuiting.

Another object of the invention is to provide a duplex receptacle whichwill be perfectly safe in handling it when attaching the wires to thebinding post and while securing the device to the outlet box.

It is also an object of the invention to pro- I vide a duplex receptacleadapted to receive plugs of different types having their con-- tactblades arranged in the same plane or .in parallelism or having acombination of such knife contacts.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination'and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings andpointed outin' thg claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changesin the form, proportion and minor details of construction, within thescope ofthe'claims, may be resorted to Without departing from the spiritor sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a duplex receptacle.constructed in accordance with this invention. I

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, the removable cap being partlybroken away to illustrate the arrangement of the-conductor bars. i Fig.3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4. is a detail perspective view of one of the conductor bars.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the multiple contacts.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the duplex receptacle.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the figuration of the outlet boxnot shown is provided at its inner face with a central longitudinalthickened portion 3 and it has projecting transversely disposedenlargements 4 located. at opposite sides'of the center of the faceplate and arranged at an inclination to the side edges of the same andprovided with angle slots 5 extending through the face plate'andpreferably composed of portions arranged at an obtuse angle to eachother as shown to accommodate different types of plugs having theirknife contacts arranged in different relative positions. The angle slots5 are enlarged in rear of the face plate to receive spring contacts 6 ofapproximately U-shape and formed integral with a plate 7 arrangedsubstantially at right angles to the planes of the sides of the springcontacts "which are connected with the said plate 7. The other sides ofthe contacts are free and provided with protuberances 8 for contactinwith the knife contacts of plugs. A multiple contact consisting of theplate 7 and the spring contact 6 is provided for each of the slots 5 andthe plate 7 fits flat against the inner or rear end of the enlargement 4and is secured'to the same by a tubular rivet 9 embedded in the moldedplastic insulating material and having a reduced terminal portionpassing through .a perforation 10 of the plate 7 and headed preferablyby spinning the end of the tubular rivet and expanding the same in theusual manner. The

- contacts 6 are compressed slightly in introducing the same into theangle slot and their resiliency is adapted to cause the same to hug theend walls of the angle slot which consists in maintaining them firmly inposition. The free knife blade engaging portions which are provided withthe protuberances are resilient and areadapted to maintain a propercontact-with the said knife blade contacts when the same are pluggedinto the duplex receptacle. The multiple contacts are arranged in pairsand are spaced apart as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing so thatthere is no liability of arcing or short circuiting or sparking.

The spring contacts at each side of the duplex receptacle are connectedin pairs by a pair of spaced parallel conductor bars 11 havingenlargements or heads '12 at their fitting and conforming generally tothe con figuration of the plate 7 provided with perforations 13 toreceive the tubular rivets 9 which are headed as before explained. Theheads of the rivets engage the outer face of the conductor bars andretain the same and Y the multiple contacts securely in position.

The conductor bars which bridge the spaces between the enlargements areprovided at their outer side edges with forwardly extending arms 14equipped with binding screws 15 and provided with terminal projections16 which cooperate with the binding screws in confining the terminals ofthe wires which are secured to the duplex receptacle. The terminals ofthe wires are thus widely separated so that there is no liability of thewires coming in contact with each other and producing a shortcircuiting, arcing or sparking of the device. The binding screws arelocated at the outer edges of the conductor bars and they are inconvenient position for the attachment of the wires. The conductor barsare covered by a cap 17 of molded insulating material the same as theface plate and it is provided with a marginal flange 18 and has enlargedendportions 19 conforming to the configuration of and fitting the spacedenlargements. The cap 17 completely covers the conductor bars and thecontacts with the exception of the arms 14 and the binding screws 15 themarginal flange of the cap being recessed at 20 to permit it to clearthe said arms 14 and to expose the binding screws for the attachment ofthe electric wires. The cap is seecured in position by means of tubularrivets 21 embedded in the molded plastic material of the enlargementsand extending through perforations 22- of the cap and headed at theirouter ends similar to the tubular rivets 9 as clearly illustrated inFig. 3 of the drawing. The face plate is provided at its end portionswith countersunk openings 23 for the reception of screws or bolts orother suitable fastening means for securing the device to an outlet boxor the like.

What I claim is:

1. A duplex receptacle comprising a relatively thin face plate ofinsulating material provided at its inner face with spaced inwardlyprojecting enlargements having slots for the receptionof knife contacts.spring contacts arranged within the slots of the enlargements,transversely spaced longitudinally disposed conductor bars bridging theintervening space between the enlargements and connecting the springcontacts and provided at the said intervening space between theenlargements with means for the attachment of electric wires.

2. A duplex receptacle comprising a. relatively thin face plate ofinsulating material having a marginal flange and provided at its innerface within the said flange with completely spaced inwardly projectingenlargements having slots for knife contacts, spring contacts arrangedin the slots of the enlargements, longitudinally disposed transverselyspaced conductor bars bridging the space between the enlargements andhaving means'for the attachment of electric wires located in the saidintervening space.

3. A duplex receptacle comprising a face plate adapted to be secured toan outlet box and provided at its inner face with completely spacedinwardly projecting transversely disposed enlargements arranged at aninclination to the sides of the plate and provided with angle slots,multiple contacts arranged in pairs and secured to the enlargements andprovided with spring contacts extending into the said slots,longitudinally disposed transversely sp aced conductor bars connectingthe said multiple contacts and provided intermediate of their ends atthe open space between the enlargements with means for the attachment ofelectric wires, and a relatively thin insulating ca composed of a'narrowintermediate portion and enlarged end portions and provided with amarginal flange. said insulating cap fitting the enlargements of theface plate and having its narrow portion arranged at the space betweenthe enlargements and forming a housing for the conductor bars.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM ILE.

